Black Sun and White Moon Rebellion
by Generalmayhem02
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki is a 17 year old Maquis member, and Ichigo Kurosaki's family run a cargo/medical ship. When their paths cross will they fall in love or will the Cardassians have other plans. An Ichiruki AU fic with Hitsukarn in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

The Cardassian cruiser _Tarkesh_ flew through the Antar star system her phasers blazing as she exchanged fire with four Maquis raiders. The Maquis were running as fast as their damaged impulse drives would allow, as their shields flashed under the Cardassian's assault. Their mission had been to destroy a munitions depot that the Cardassians had hidden on an uninhabited moon of Antar Seven. When they arrived in system the depot was gone and a Galor class cruiser and two Hidiki class patrol ships were waiting for them. The Maquis had attacked the Cardassians in spite of, or perhaps because of the odds, and the Cardies destroyed three of the Maquis ships and were now trying to rundown the four remaining shuttle size raiders.

"Shirayuki, damage report!" called out a raven haired girl as her ship shuttered under the Cardassian's phaser fire.

"Damage to primary impulse reactor, secondary reactor initiated." answered the ship's computer. The Maquis raider _Soda No Shirayuki _continued to weather the Cardassian assault as her pilot Rukia Kuchiki tried every trick she knew to evade the perusing Cardassian ships. The Raider _Neijibana_ made a run directly into the line of fire, trying to draw some fire away from Rukia's damaged shields. The pilot Kaien Shiba is the second in command of Rukia's squadron, and he and his wife/copilot Miyako are close friends of Rukia and her family. Kaien brought his phasers to bare on one of the Hidikis and opened fire, the patrol ship's already damaged shields failed and her engines exploded leaving the ship in a slow role and out of the fight. A raider exploded just moments later, and the Cardassians concentrated their fire on Rukia and Kaien's ships as the other raider lost power to her weapons and rammed the last Cardassian patrol vessel destroying both ships.

"Kaien we need to get out of here, that cruiser has us both out gunned" Rukia said over the comms.

"I know, try to get your warp drive back online we'll cover you." Kaien said.

"Just go leave me, I'll be fine you and Miyako can still get away." Rukia said after noticing that the _Neijibana _still had warp drive.

"Fat chance of that Rukia just get your warp drive online and leave the rest **BOOM! **" A loud explosion almost left Rukia deaf as Kaien's ship lost shields and was hit by a plasma torpedo. Kaien sat up in his smoke filled cockpit, the ship was badly damaged and flames were burning throughout the cockpit. " Warning warp core breech in progress, ejection system offline." the ship's computer announced. Kaien got up and moved to his wife's side, she wasn't moving. He tried to wake her then he noticed the piece of debris sticking from her chest, and he realized she was dead.

'Kaien your warp core is going breech, you and Miyako need to get out of there." Rukia said through the comms

"Rukia, Miyako is dead." He said as he took his seat at the controls and plotted a collision course with the Cardassian ship.

"Kaien prepare for transport." Rukia said.

"Rukia I'm sorry, keep my heart safe." Kaien said as he took his ship to full impulse.

"Kaien don't do it!" Rukia yelled out as she realized what he was doing.

"Don't you dare die alone Rukia" was the last thing she heard him say as his ship collided with the Cardassian ship causing a massive damage, and the Galor's warp core exploded destroying the ship. Rukia could only watch as her mentor, the man who taught her to fly and brought her into the Maquis gave his life for hers.

"Good bye Kaien" she said in a whisper as tears filled her eyes.

"Warning, life support system failure." her ship's computer announced and Rukia felt a cold dread in her heart.

"I'm sorry Kaien, I guess you died for nothing." Was Rukia's last thought before darkness overtook her.

The Federation cargo ship _Masaki _was cruising near the Antar system, she is a large ship at over 800 meters long she is larger the a Galaxy class starship. The ship's orange haired pilot Ichigo Kurosaki sat at the helm with a board expression on his face.

"That's odd, hey dad get over here" he said.

"Son how many times do I have to tell you? When we're on the bridge call me captain." Captain Isshin Kurosaki said to his seventeen year old son.

"Look I'm detecting debris and signs of weapons fire." Ichigo said.

"Karin scan the area, lets see what happened out here." Isshin said to his operations office/daughter.

"Looks like the remains of a Cardassian cruiser and some smaller ships." Karin said.

"Ichigo lay in a course for the debris field, lets see if we can find some survivors." Isshin said as the ship turned to her new course.

"Dad, I'm detecting a small ship in the debris, minimal power signature, looks like she took a beating. Wait, I've got life signs, one human female very faint!" Karin yelled.

"Ichigo grab some emergency gear and beam over." Isshin said.

"On it!" Ichigo called back. Isshin pushed the internal comm button on his seat arm.

"Yuzu, you better get sickbay ready, Ichigo went to get a survivor off of a damaged raider." He said.

"Got it dad." the sandy haired 15 year old said.

Ichigo found himself standing in the cockpit of the damaged raider, it was cold and dark and the life support system was at minimal. The pilot was laying back in her seat unconscious, as he approached her he noticed that she was so small that the seat swallowed her. He shook her trying to wake her but she would not wake, so he scooped her up in his arms. He was right she's tiny, he barely noticed her weight as he tapped his communicator.

'Two to beam directly to sickbay." he said and the cool wash of the transporter beam enveloped them. As soon as the transporter beam released them Ichigo placed the girl on a diagnostic bed, and Isshin came over and started treating her. Ichigo looked down at her face, he was right girl seemed to fit her better then woman, she looked way too young to be flying a raider. If Ichigo had to guess her age he would say she is around 12 or 13 based on her size and appearance, but her face looked much older, far more mature. She really is a pretty one, he thought to himself as his father treated her injuries.

"Well she's suffering from exposure and some minor injuries, it's a good thing we found her when we did, a few more hours and she would have died." Isshin said.

"Ichigo, Karin see if you can bring her ship into the landing bay, I want to go over her flight recorder" Isshin said.

" Got it" Karin said as she and Ichigo left the room.

"You are way too young to be a Maquis" Isshin said to the sleeping girl, as he sat at her bedside.

Ichigo entered the cargo/shuttle bay and walked over to the controls, he opened the outer doors and locked a tractor beam onto the damaged raider.

"Ichigo, what are you doing?" Orihime Kurosaki ask her twin brother.

"Oh hey sis, we found a damaged raider and I'm trying to bring it aboard." He said.

"Oh, need any help?" She ask.

"I got it, but I think dad could use some help." He said, looking like he was thinking.

"I'm not qualified for the kind of help he needs." she said causing both of them to burst into laughter. Ichigo brought the raider into the bay and closed the doors.

"Looks like she took a hell of a pounding." Orihime said as she examined the raiders battered hull.

"I think I can get her flying again though." She said.

"Well you better worry about that plasma injector in the port nacelle before you start trying to fix this raider, anyways it looks like the pilot is going to be out for a while. She looked worse off then her ship." Ichigo said to his sister/chief engineer.

_Seireitei Colony, the DMZ._

The captain of the sixth attack squadron, Byakuya Kuchiki approached the hanger for the thirteenth squadron. Kuchiki walked up to the squadron's captain, Jushiro Ukitake, and the white haired man stood he was a tall man but he looked sickly.

"Is there any word regarding your squadron's attack in the Antar system?" the icy man said.

"None so far, they should have returned yesterday. All we know is that the Cardassian fifth order reported the loss of a Galor class cruiser and two patrol ships in that system." Ukitake said.

"It would seem that our ships must have engaged the Cardassians and destroyed them. If any of our ships survived then they may be stranded, I will dispatch a raider to look for survivors." Byakuya said, as he made his way out the door.

"Don't worry Byakuya, I'm sure she is okay." Ukitake said as the other man left.

_Antar System._

The first thing Rukia realized is that she could breath, so far so good she thought.

'Or maybe not." She said in a very low whisper as the pain from her lungs caused her to grimace. She realized she was laying in a bed in what was obviously a medical bay. The air was too cool and the bed too soft for this to be a Cardassian ship. Rukia realized that she was alive, and she was not the only person in the room, she could see a young man with orange hair setting at a desk a few feet away. Rukia wanted to yell to him but her voice was little more then a whisper, the man noticed that she was awake and he approached her.

"Welcome back, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." He said.

"Where am I?" She said, using what little strength her battered little body could muster.

"You're on a medical ship, the _Masaki_. We found your ship adrift and brought you aboard for treatment." He said to her. She sat up and he placed a hand behind her to help steady her.

"Did you find any other survivors?" She ask feeling weaker then before.

"No you were the only one we found." He said and he could see tears forming in her beautiful amethyst eyes. Rukia tried to keep her tears at bay, but when he wrapped his arms around her tiny form she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Ichigo was a little surprised with himself, here he was holding a girl he had only met a few minutes ago and letting her cry on his shoulder. Rukia for her part was just as surprised with herself, she had just met this man and here she was sobbing her eyes out in his arms, and yet they both had to admit that it felt right. Rukia stopped crying after a while and he helped her lay back down, she was exhausted from the beating her body and her soul had taken. Most of those she knew from her flight wing were dead, and all she could think about was Kaien and Miyako and how she would never see them again.

"Thank you Ichigo." Rukia said as she let sleep take her again.

"Your welcome maquis." He said back.

" It's Rukia, not maquis." she said with her eyes closed.

"Get some rest Rukia, your safe here." He said back, and he noticed that she smiled as she fell asleep again.

The _Masaki_ changed course and powered up her warp engines, as she prepared to go to warp.

"I hope you got that port injector fixed sis." Ichigo said to Orihime who just smiled.

"Well if she didn't then this is going to be a very short trip" Karin said as she prepped the ship for warp.

"Ichigo, set a course for the Dovis Three warp 7." Isshin said as Ichigo laid in the course.

"Course lied in and warp engines ready." Ichigo said.

"Engage the engines" Isshin said and the ship jumped to warp.

A lone maquis raider dropped out of warp in the Antar system, they slowed to impulse and started scanning the area for any sign of the missing raiders.

"Looks like nothing but debris." Shuhei Hisagi said as he read the scanners.

"Are there any signs of survivors?" Ask Renji Abarai, the second in command of the sixth attack squadron.

"No, it looks like our ships were all destroyed. I'm reading a lot of weapons fire and what look like the residue from multiple warp core breeches." Hisagi said.

"I guess we better report back, all of them are dead." Renji said knowing that captain Kuchiki won't take the news of his sister's death well.

"I'm setting a course for home." Renji said as he powered up the warp drive and they jumped to warp leaving the debris of the battle that claimed their friends in their wake.

A Cardassian cruiser, the _Krakson_, dropped to impulse in the Antar star system.

"Report." Gul Remek of the fifth order said as his ship slowed.

"There appears to be a large amount of debris and residual energy signatures, from the patterns I believe our ships were destroyed by the Maquis." The operations officer said

"Any survivors?" Gul Remek ask.

"Negative, there is no sign of survivors." The operations officer said. Gul Remek closed his eyes, this situation is becoming intolerable yet another cruiser lost to a rabble with a few shuttles.

"Send our findings to the central command and then set a course for home." The Gul ordered. After a few moments the cruiser jumped to warp leaving the Antar system empty of everything but the remains of the battle.

Rukia awoke again the next day feeling a bit stronger then she had the day before, she was still a little weak and she didn't have the strength to get out of bed just yet. She sat up and a man with black hair came over to her.

"Good morning, I'm Doctor Isshin Kurosaki captain of this ship." he said as he started checking her vitals

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki, thank you for saving me." She said.

"So how did someone as young as you end up flying with the maquis?" He ask, looking at the screen showing her readouts.

"My sister was killed by Cardassians last year, I joined to keep the Cardies from hurting anyone else." She said feeling a little defensive.

"You seem too young to be a pilot, how old are you anyways?" Isshin ask as he started scanning her with his tricordor.

"I'm seventeen and I can out fly anyone." She said with a bit of pride in her voice.

"You sound like my son Ichigo, he's seventeen and loves to fly, that is if he can get that old shuttle of his flying again." Isshin said.

"Are you going turn me over to Starfleet, or the Cardassians?" She ask trying not to let the trepidation she was feeling show, it would be bad to be in a Federation prison, but the Cardies would do far worse to her.

"Nether, this isn't a Starfleet ship and I have been in the DMZ long enough to know what the Cardassian have been doing. I won't hand you or anyone else over to those bastards, so don't worry your safe here." Rukia thought she should be worried that he was lying to her but for some reason she knew she could trust him and his family.

"Thanks." was all she had the strength left to say. She wondered how her brother and the few friends she had who were still alive were doing. Well these are nice people, I guess I better make the best of it then, she thought as she felt herself drifting off again.

"I hope the Cardies don't come looking for me." Was her last thought be fore she fell asleep.

On the bridge of the Cardassian cruiser _Krakson_ Gul Remek stared out at the stars through the view screen.

"Sir I have a warp trail leaving the Antar system, it looks like a large cargo ship." the ops officer said.

"It could be from their home base, follow it!" Remek ordered and the ship altered course.

"Well little maquis it looks like revenge is upon you." Remek said as they flew through warp intent on revenge against any maquis survivors and anyone who stands in his way.


	2. Chapter 2

_S.S. Masaki 13:00 hours, Darvolian System, DMZ._

Rukia spent next few days getting to know the ship and her crew, she found out that the Kurosaki family owns and runs the ship but there are a number of other people onboard including a number of families. Rukia had to dodge running children more then once as she made her way through the corridors from her cabin to the shuttle bay, she wanted to see if Orihime chan, Ichigo's twin sister, would let her work on repairing her ship. She found it a little strange that there were two sets of twins in the Kurosaki family, Ichigo and Orihime looked a lot alike but Karin and Yuzu didn't, in fact if they hadn't told her she never would have guessed that they were sisters let alone twins. Rukia could tell by watching them that the younger pair really looked up to their older siblings, though it was clear that Karin was closer to Ichigo and Yuzu to Orihime. Thinking about the Kurosakis Rukia had a laugh at their father's antics, her smile turned a bit sad as she started thinking about her late sister Hasana, it was a year ago next month that the Cardies killed her when their paramilitaries raided their home colony, her brother in law Byakuya was away meeting with Federation council members, he was trying to get help for the Colonies in the DMZ. The sad part is that their original colony was still just on the Federation side of the border, and the _U.S.S. Discovery_ was only three light years away, but it took a day and a half for her to respond, she was serving as an ambassadorial transport and the ambassador ordered them to stay put until the reception they were holding was over, the captain obeyed but filed a formal protest. By the time help arrived it was too late for over two hundred colonists including her sister, the survivors moved to a nearby world inside a nebula and before long they had joined the Maquis.

Rukia walked into the cargo/shuttle bay and she was surprised at how large it was, she had wondered how they could have fit her forty meter long medium raider in their shuttle bay, but now that she was in the bay she understood it, the bay was huge they could fit a two or three squadrons of raiders in here. Rukia started looking for Orihime but she couldn't find her so she just went over to _Soda No Shirayuki _and Rukia was shocked at how bad her ship looked, she really felt attachment to her ship, she had been flying this old girl since she joined the Maquis.

"Wow they really beat you up good." She said as she ran her hand along the hull.

"So you talk to your ship?" she heard a voice say, Rukia looked as Ichigo stepped out from behind a set of crates.

"So what if I do?" Rukia said feeling a little defensive.

"Well don't feel ashamed, I talk to my ship too." He said with a smile.

"You have a ship?" she ask remembering his dad had said something about him being a pilot.

"Is that so strange?" he ask with a slight smile.

"I didn't mean that to be an insult." she said feeling a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it, I was just about to go do some work on it, if want to see it." he said.

Rukia smiled, "Sure why not." she said and she followed him.

"Well there she is." he said with some pride, Rukia was expecting a shuttle or maybe a small raider, she was not expecting what she saw. Setting on the deck was a fifty seven meter long Klingon _K'tok _class light attack scout.

"That's your ship?" she ask in disbelief.

"Yup, her name is _Zangetsu _it means Slaying Moon in Japanese, her original name was the same thing but in Klingon." He said.

"Where did you get this?" She ask as she looked over the ships predator like form, she resembled a Klingon Bird of Prey but was smaller and her hull was much smoother it also lacked the humped back found on of Birds of Prey, she look like a predator ready to strike.

"I found it in a scrap yard a few years ago, I've been restoring it for three years." he said .

"Three years, why so long?" she ask giving him a quizzical look.

"Well she is a Klingon ship, and she was built in 2295 so it's a little hard to find parts. I'm almost finished only a few of her weapons need to be checked, I even added a few tricks of my own." He said his voice filled with pride. Rukia was just about to ask if she could see the inside when his communicator beeped.

"Hey Ichi-nii you need to get up here, we have a problem." Karin said through the comms.

_Dorvis III , Darvolian system._

William Riker former first officer of the _U.S.S. Enterprise _sat in a spacer's bar wondering how he ended up in this situation, and what he was going to do now. He had been on a mission for Admiral Nechayev in a effort to bring down a Cardassian bio weapons facility, as it turned out the whole thing was a set up and a number of junior officers were killed. Riker himself barely escaped in a stolen Cardassian patrol ship, when he returned he was condemned as a rogue officer. The good Admiral cut him lose and he was forced to resign his commission from Starfleet, only Captain Picard's intervention kept him from a dishonorable discharge and a prison term, as it was he was wanted by the Cardassians and he was not going to find any safe harbor in the Federation as long as that remains the case. Riker sat watching for his contact, he still couldn't believe he was able to get a hold of her after what had happened last year, he was really surprised that she agreed to meet with him. A dark figure approached his table, the figure was unmistakably female, she was wearing a hood that covered her face, her cautious but cocky stance was enough to tell him that she was the one he was waiting to meet with.

"Hello Ro." he said as she took a seat and slid her hood back to reveal her Bajorain features.

"Hello commander, so why are you here?" she said, her tone was neutral but her face was tense with suspicion and he was surprised she managed to keep it out of her voice.

"It's just Will Riker now, I was forced to resign from Starfleet." He said, the bitterness in his voice was clear despite his best efforts to keep it out.

"I heard, so what is it you want?" she ask.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but, I want to join the Maquis." he said, and she was taken aback, not by the fact that he wanted to join, she figured that part out already, but that he would ask her of all people to help him get in.

" How do I know it's not a trick?" she said, but even to her it sounded halfhearted, and she had to work to keep from smiling.

"You don't, but I've never lied to you before, and I know you have Vulcans in your ranks, I'll submit to a mind meld if it will make you feel better." He said, at first she thought he was being sarcastic, but the slump of his shoulders let her know that he was used to not being trusted anymore. She sat thinking about it for a few moments then decided that he would be an asset to them.

"OK, I can get you in, but if you betray us I'll shoot you and beam you into space." she said. He nodded and they stood to leave, when he noticed a few people were talking into communicators. He looked to her and she started leading him faster through the bar, they were stopped just outside the bar by three men with phasers.

"What the" was all the time he had to say as they were both stunned, he felt a transporter beam just be for the darkness took him.

_S.S. Masaki, Dorvis III orbit, Darvolian System, DMZ._

Ichigo ran to the bridge at a record pace, Karin had sounded worried when she contacted him, and Karin had nerves of steel, if she was worried it was serious.

"What is it Karin? He said as he burst into the bridge followed by their raven haired guest. She looked up from her scanner, her face was paler then normal and Ichigo felt his stomach twist at the sight, Rukia for her part noticed the looks on their faces, but was confused as to why Ichigo reacted that way before his sister said a word.

"We have a Cardassian _Galor_ class cruiser coming in at warp 5, it looks like she's following our warp trail." Karin said, her voice was calm but her eyes showed just how hard she was fighting to keep it that way. Rukia started shaking, they were coming for her, they would find her and kill the Kurosakis. Rukia collapsed to a sitting position on the deck as Isshin walked onto the bridge.

"Report." he called out, all traces of his happy go lucky attitude were gone, he seemed like a man who was ready for anything.

"We have a Cardassian cruiser baring down on our position, it looks like we were followed." Karin called out.

'How long till they get here?" Isshin said scratching his beard.

"Just under two hours." Karin said.

"Then we have time. Ichigo go down to the shuttle bay, set up a work area around Rukia's ship, start making repairs on it." he said, Rukia was confused, there was no way they could get _Shirayuki _flying again in just two hours, and even if they could it would be just one raider against a cruiser.

"On it." Ichigo said as he jumped up and ran out of the bridge.

"Karin, open the computer files and link them to my station." he said'

"Ok, Rukia I know you're confused, I'll explain. Right now your name is Rukia Kuromaji, you are the second relief helmsman of this ship and have been a member of this crew for three years and you are engaged to Ichigo, the damaged raider in our hold is a salvaged ship my son is going to give you as a wedding gift after he rebuilds it, his own ship is proof that he likes to rebuild ships." He said as he smiled at her, and for the first time since they detected the cruiser she felt hope.

"I already altered the ships records and crew manifest to show duty shifts for you over the past three years, and I even made a few log entrees about your engagement to Ichigo." he said'

"Does Ichigo know about this cover story?" She ask, to her it seemed like they got it in place too quickly.

"Yes, we came up with it right after the first time he spoke with you." Isshin said. "It was his idea to put a false identity for you in the ship's roster and logs, I came up with the engagement story to ad depth to your life on our ship, and to explain why we salvaged a raider." He finished, Rukia felt like her head was spinning.

"Wow." was all Rukia could say.

"Now don't panic, we 're probably going to be boarded, but they won't have a reason to detain us for too long, just relax and man your station Ms Kuromaji." He said

"Aye Aye captain." She said with a smile on her face.

_Maquis Raider S.S. Gale, Dorvis III orbit, Darvolian System, DMZ_

Riker could feel himself waking up, every muscle in his body hurt from the phaser stun he received, he opened his eyes, he wasn't on a Cardassian ship it looked like a Federation raider, he was surprised to find that he was sitting on a couch in a common area on the ship.

'Good morning commander." He heard a very amused sounding Ro Laren say.

"What the hell happened?" he ask

"We made it look like you and I were kidnapped, made it easer to get to the ship without anyone realizing we were Maquis." she said. Riker sat up feeling a little dizzy, but he was glad she trusted him enough to let him aboard her ship. An alarm sounded, and they both rushed to the bridge, Riker knew this class of ship fairly well, it was a heavy raider, and it was a rare model.

"We have a cardie cruiser inbound." Said a teenage boy with white spiky hair.

"How long do we have Toshiro?" Ro ask

"Ten minutes to intercept." he said.

'Damn, there's no way we haven't been scanned." She cursed, Ro knew that the Cardassians would recognize the _Gale _for what she was a Maquis raider, this class of large raider was just to rare to be mistaken for anything else.

"Toshiro, are they coming in hot?" she ask already forming a plan, Riker for his part was starting to think of something as he watched the scanner.

'Yes, their shields are up and their weapons are charged." Toshiro Hitsugaya answered.

"Ok we run for it, take us to max warp, try to get us to the badlands before the Cardies can chase us.' she said and Riker felt as the ship started changing course, they had to clear this part of the system before they could get away.

_Darvolian system, DMZ_

A Cardassian cruiser dropped into the system, she was heading into orbit when a lone raider seemed to be heading out of the system in a hurry. The freighter they had followed here was still setting in orbit and seemed to make no effort to get away. Gul Remek watched his prey as it sat in it's orbit around a world that was know to be used as a trading post by everything from smugglers to maquis and everything in between. If that ship was maquis or was harboring them he would have them soon, and the destruction of his brother's ship the _Tarkesh _would be avenged.

'Intercept that freighter, and ready a boarding party." He ordered, his mind begin to wonder as they closed, he was busy thinking of the interrogation methods he would use. He hoped their would be females on that ship, he would relish making the males watch as he tortured their wives, daughters, and sisters.

Ro Laren held the arm of her chair with an iron grip, there was no way they could get away, the cruiser was just too fast, she waited for the Cardassians to open fire.

'Raise shields and arm weapons." she ordered as the cruiser closed.

"No wait!" Riker called out from the scanning station he was setting at.

"What ?" she ask as she held a hand to stop them from carrying out her earlier order.

"I don't think they're headed for us, it looks like they're after that freighter." Riker said hoping his hunch was right.

"Alright, but if you're wrong." she started

"Then we're all dead anyway." he interrupted.

The Cardassian cruiser made its way at full impulse through the system on a direct course for the _Masaki_ . Ro let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as the cruiser blew past them with out even sparing them a scan.

"That was close, good hunch Riker." she said as they continued their course out of the system.

'Thanks." he said falling into his seat.

"Should we wait to see if that freighter is going to need help?" Hitsugaya ask as they watched the Cardassians intercept the ship.

"No, if we change course now they'll know something's up, better take us home." she said. The pilot nodded and within a few minutes the ship was at warp leaving the Darvolian system, the Cardassian cruiser, and the freighter behind. Ro felt a twinge of guilt at leaving a helpless freighter at the Cardassian's mercy, but there was really nothing they could do about it.

_S.S. Masaki, 1510 hours, Dorvis III orbit._

Isshin sat in his seat watching the Cardassian ship as it closed with them, he felt nervous but would never show it in front of his family, the Cardassians were not know for their hospitality and he had no illusions of what would happen if they were taken prisoner.

" Dad, they're hailing us." Karin said from her station next to Rukia who was looking calm in spite of her fear.

"Open a channel" he said, and she did as he told her.

"Hello, I'm Captain Kurosaki of the medical transport _Masaki _what can I do for you?" he ask sounding cheerful.

"I am Gul Remek of the Cardassian Fifth Order, stand by to be boarded." the Cardassian said in a commanding and arrogant tone.

"Standing by, _Masaki _out." Isshin said as he closed the channel.

"They launched a shuttle, it'll be here in less the two minutes." Karin called out.

"Ms Kuromaji, maintain course and speed." He said to Rukia.

"Aye aye captain, maintaining course and speed." she said sounding calmer then she felt.

Down in the shuttle bay Ichigo was busy making it look like they had spent weeks or months working on Rukia's ship, he hoped the Cardies would be fooled into thinking it was a salvage job he had been repairing. He sat tinkering with the ship's systems, he acted like it was a pet project of his, a wedding gift for Rukia, he smiled at the thought before he pushed it aside. You only just met her, he mentally scolded himself, but a part of him felt like they were connected in someway, like they understood each other. With one final mental shove he pushed his thoughts of Rukia away, just as the shuttle bay doors opened and a Cardassian shuttle passed through the force field. Cardassian troops began pouring out of the ship, and a tall Cardassian approached him.

"I am Glenn Delvic of the Fifth Order, you will comply with our inspection or you and all aboard will be arrested as enemies of the Cardassian Union." He said with an edge of threat in his voice.

'Whatever, just clean up after yourselves." Ichigo said in a board sounding voice as he turned back to his repairs. The contingent of Cardassians left the shuttle bay leaving only two guards behind.

Yuzu was busying herself in the medical bay, as chief nurse of the _Masaki _it was her duty to keep the ship's medical ward ready incase of an emergency, and she had just spent the last two hours hiding or destroying any evidence that it was Rukia they rescued and treated. She was setting at her desk taking a rest when three Cardassians walked into the bay.

"You two began your search." the leader ordered as he pointed a phaser at Yuzu earning a stern but annoyed look from her that hid just how nervous she really felt.

"This is a rather large medical by for a freighter." the leader said to her.

'We're a medical ship, not just a freighter, we respond to medical emergencies. Like when your ships attack a helpless colony." She shot in a cold tone and one of the soldiers pointed a phaser at her, his leader motioned for him lower it.

"You have spunk, make sure it doesn't get you into trouble." he warned with an edge. The Cardassians left the med bay and Yuzu let out the breath she was holding.

Two Cardassians entered the main engineering section and started scanning the equipment. Orihime motioned for her staff to stay at their stations, her second engineer Uryu Ishida kept watching the Cardassians as they continued their scans, he was worried about what they might do to Orihime, he had heard of what they do to female prisoners, even though he knew she was a Kurosaki and like the rest of her family was tough enough to take care of herself, he still felt the need to protect her.

"Can I help you?" she ask the lead Cardassian in a polite tone, hoping they would leave before they did any damage to her precious engines.

"No, do not interfere." the Cardassian said, and she walked away annoyed, she vowed that if they did any damage she was not only going to break their arms but then she was going to make them fix the damage with their teeth if they had too.

The Cardassians entered the bridge and their leader took Isshin to his office as his men began inspecting the ships computer and logs.

'You are the owner of this ship?" the Cardassian ask taking a seat in Isshin's chair.

'I am, I bought her right after I resigned from Starfleet." Isshin said in a cold command tone.

'Why did you resign from Starfleet?" the Cardassian ask as he made notes on his PADD.

"I left to raise my family after my wife Masaki was killed at Wolf 359." Isshin said, his tone not changing.

"Why do you have a Klingon attack scout and a raider in your shuttle bay?" the Cardassian ask not looking up from his PADD.

"They belong to my son, he and his sister like to rebuild ships, he's going to give the raider to our relief helmsman Rukia Kuromaji as a wedding gift." Isshin said, hoping they would buy Rukia's cover story.

"I see, and how long have they been engaged?" he ask

"That's not your business." Isshin said with an icy edge. The Cardassian just looked at him, and then punched him in the guts.

"It is my business if I say it is my business." he said with the threat clear in his voice.

"Fine, they have been engaged for two month." Isshin said after regaining his breath and setting in the chair by his desk.

"Now what were you doing in the Antar System?" He said and this time he was watching Isshin for any signs of deception.

"We were making repairs to our engines, and we detected the remnants of a battle. We stopped to look for survivors, we found one young woman in a badly damaged escape pod, but she died a few days after we brought her aboard." Isshin said.

"Where is her body?" the Cardassian ask sounding suspicious.

"We dematerialized it in our transporter after we gave her a small funeral." Isshin said.

"You held a funeral for a girl you didn't know ?" the Cardassian sounding skeptical.

"Everyone deserves to be mourned, and we did get to know her over the few days she lived." Isshin said.

"I see, was she a maquis?" He ask.

"I don't know, she never said." He said, and he was telling the truth, Rukia has never confirmed that she is a member of the Maquis.

"What was her name?" he ask.

"It was Kuchiki, Hasana Kuchiki." Isshin said giving Rukia's sister's name.

"I see." Just then his communicator beeped. "Sir, we have finished our inspection of the ship, there is nothing here." one of his officers informed him. "Return to the shuttle, I will join you shortly." He ordered closing the device.

"That will be all, you and your ship are free to go, in the future be careful who you rescue." The Cardassian said, the threat in his tone was unmistakable.

The Kurosakis breathed a sigh of relief as the Cardassians left the ship.

"That was close." Karin said as she watched the shuttle on her screen after it left their shuttle bay. Rukia sat at the helm trying to get her pulse under control as she remembered the offensive remarks and hungry looks that she and Karin had received from the Cardassians who stayed on the bridge. Rukia knew what would have happened to them both as well as every other female on the ship if the Cardassians decided to take them prisoner.

"Oh they suspected something was up, but they couldn't prove it, and this is not Cardassian space so they couldn't just take us in without something concrete." Isshin said. Ichigo entered the bridge and relieved Rukia from the helm, instead of leaving she took a seat at one of the unused stations. Isshin watched her as she sat back, he didn't miss her blush when Ichigo relieved her, or her shy smile as she got up.

"Ichigo set a course for Starbase 54, we need to make repairs to the engines again, and it's more then can be done in space." Isshin said.

"Course set Dad, ready to go to warp." He said.

"Engage the engines." Isshin ordered, and with that they jumped to warp.

Gul Remek watched in frustration as the freighter jumped to warp, if they were in Cardassian space he would have been interrogating prisoners by now.

"Damn that treaty." He said through clinched teeth as he read the boarding party's report, he slammed the PADD down on his desk with enough force to knock his cup of hot fish juice on the floor. Remek knew that the crew of that ship had Maquis sympathies, and were possibly Maquis, but he couldn't prove it, so for now he would bide his time and try something to flush a few of these vermin out.

"Helm set a course for Ronara II, and ready an assault team." he ordered, the Federation colonists would suffer badly and then maybe he could flush out a near by Maquis cell and destroy it. He sat back as his ship went to warp, in two days he would have prisoners to interrogate, the thought of their suffering gave him joy as he retired to his quarters. The ship moved at high warp toward the hapless colony, as her commander dreamt of glory.


End file.
